


Bonded for Life

by Princess_of_the_Pen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, It's my OTP and it deserves more love, James and Lily comes back to life, There's also a ritual that is responsible for this because why not, my first multi-chapter Harry Potter fanfic, not a lot of resurection fics with Harry and Hermione together, so i wrote one, takes place in 7th year
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2018-12-08 18:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11652021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_of_the_Pen/pseuds/Princess_of_the_Pen
Summary: Hermione turned and beamed at Harry; her eyes too were full of tears.". . . then I declare you bonded for life."It was just a glance between friends but it was enough. Enough to invoke a forgotten ritual, to bring back those thought gone forever, and to turn the Wizarding World on its head.





	1. The Duality of Love Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> If I owned Harry Potter Harry and Hermione would've gotten together and Neville would get more love. I obviously don't own anything.

** October 31st, 1981 **

Fog slithered along the ground, slipping and sliding between wet blades of grass. A silence smothered the sleepy village of Godric's Hollow, occupants making their way from the dinner table to their beds as the sun drifted out of sight and the moon came to take its place. Everything was peaceful as the villagers said goodnight and all was well - except for in a tiny cottage just on the edge of the village.

It was dim inside the cottage, all electrical lighting turned off leaving only a circle of candles to light up the nursery. Lily Potter sat in the floor as she fingered her way through an ancient tome, rereading the highlighted parts and checking her runes.

"Lily, are you sure about this?" James Potter asked, crouching behind his wife to look over her shoulder at the book. Lily pushed back a lock of red hair and nodded.

"Yes. This ritual might save Harry's life! I'm willing to try it."

"But, Lils... This ritual doesn't seem... right. I mean, a kiss of nonchalance and importance? A hug of relief and worry? A glance that says everything and nothing? What is any of this suppose to do?"

"Love is the greatest magic of all. Dumbledore said so."

"Yes, but Dumbledore is a few sandwiches sort of a picnic, if you know what I'm saying."

"James, if there is even a one percent chance of saving our son, I'm going to take it! I thought you felt the same way!"

"I do, Lily-pad, I do. It's just that... sometimes it feels like we're running out of time. And if our days are numbered, I don't want to waste precious hours preparing and executing rituals that are a bunch of bollocks."

"I get it, James. I can feel the clock running, too. That's why I do these seemingly pointless rituals. Because we're running out of time to save him. He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named will find us and I won't be able to live with myself knowing I hadn't done everything in my power if the time comes and He wins. Even if the rituals is something as stupid as twirling around yelling 'Abracadabra! Hocus-pocus!' I'll do it! I'm desperate, James." Lily didn't notice her husband flinch at the made up word that sounded so much like the killing curse. Her green eyes were filled with tears so everything was blurry. James sighed and looked towards the crib pushed against the wall where there son, Harry James Potter, was quietly babbling to himself.

"Okay. Lets do this."

Lily stood up with the tome tucked snugly under her arm and James straightened before quickly kissing his wife on the temple. Then he crossed the room to the white crib and picked up his son before walking back to Lily and taking her hand. Together, the family entered the circle of candles and runes.

"We just have to follow the instructions, as silly as they may be and we should all be protected from anything that wants to harm us," Lily said. She looked into James' hazel eyes and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's do this." Lily gave a nervous smile which turned into a weak laugh as Harry, still in his father's arms, reached over to play with a lock of her hair. She softly worked her hair out of his grasp. She couldn't be distracted. Clearing her throat, Lily began the Duality of Love ritual.

"Heart to heart and souls entwined, united may our magic combine." A slight breeze swirled around the room though there were no windows opened and Lily gave a shuddering breath.

"A kiss of nonchalance and importance to give everything we mean to each other reinforcement."

Lily molded her lips to James' with hesitance. Despite their rocky history she loved this man with all her heart. The only thing she loved more was the baby squished between them. James was her rock and Harry was the reason she fought to survive. She poured everything she felt into the kiss but did not deepen it. The ritual called for nonchalance. It was just another kiss between husband and wife. Reluctantly, Lily pulled herself away from James and together the young adults kissed their child on his cheeks, causing the baby to giggle and squeal. He was so innocent, so ignorant about what was going on.

"A hug of relief and worry to acknowledge that when our arms are together we hold no fury."

Lily embraced the two important males in her life. Yeah, she was relieved that they were still alive but everyday she worried about the day where that fact may change.

"And a glance that says everything and nothing, connecting the windows to our souls and confirm all we are becoming."

Lily looked into James' eyes once more, blinking pass the tears that were welling up again. There was no way she could say nothing in that shared glance but there was too much to say to be able to say everything. Then her eyes drifted to Harry, her sweet baby boy. She took in his shock of black hair and his wide green eyes. Even at the age of one he looked so much like his father but those eyes - those eyes were hers.

"With an act of protection may we all be safe. Equals, united, protected. With one sacrifice we will all survive." Then Lily took a deep breath and launched into the chant she had practiced many time beforehand. It was not in English but in some old language long forgotten. Each word was made of sharp lines, like runes, and it had taken Lily a month to get each pronunciation right but now the ancient words flew out of her mouth without a mistake. The wind came back, more powerful and distressing to Harry who began to whimper. The candles went out one by one and by the time Lily was done, Potter Cottage was completely dark.

The Potters stood in silence as the wind dissipated, waiting for a sign that the ritual had work. Just as Lily was about to give up hope a burst of pain exploded in her chest, right over her heart. She gasped and put her hands on the throbbing spot as James let out a grunt and bent over, clutching Harry tighter. Quickly, Lily pulled down the neckline of her shirt and gasped again, this time from shock. Right over her heart a black mark was printed on her skin like a tattoo. James had undone the top buttons on his shirt with one hand and Lily could see that the same mark was on his chest too. It was the shape of a heart.

"James, it worked!" Lily yelled, relief washing over her like a tsunami. But James wasn't smiling.

"Uh, Lils?" Lily looked to where James stood. He had unbuttoned Harry's onesie to reveal is chest. His tiny, unblemished chest. "Harry doesn't have a mark."

All at once the relief washed away, quickly being replaced with a heavy boulder of panic and disbelief that settled in her stomach.

"What? No," Lily whispered. "I-I know we did the ritual right. We had to have done it!"

"Lily, come down."

"Calm down? James, this ritual was to protect Harry, not us! Why wouldn't he be marked!?"

"Listen, we have no idea what these hearts mean. We don't know a lot about this ritual. How about we go downstairs, have some dinner, and then contact Dumbledore about this, okay?" As he spoke James pulled his wife into a hug. Instead of hugging him backs, she took Harry from his arms and held him tight while leaning her head on James' chest. Then James stepped back and took Lily by the shoulders. He guided her out of the nursery and to the kitchen, flicking on lights as he went.

"Do you feel like cooking?" James asked. "I could go out to fetch us something." James and Lily both knew that James wasn't offering to cook because he was terrible at it. The last thing they needed was for him to burn down their sanctuary.

"James, it's dangerous out there."

"I'll use a glamour, okay? No one will know it's me." Lily took a deep breath. After the failed ritual she didn't feel comfortable having James put himself in unnecessary danger but she was worn out and couldn't let her family go hungry. They had been missing too many dinners due to excessive worrying.

"Go. But please be careful." James kissed her head and headed towards the front door. He'd put on the glamour when he got to the restaurant after apparating there.

Lily put Harry in his high chair and reached for her wand, too tired to fix him a bottle or get the baby food the muggle way. However her pocket was empty. She remembered James and her discarding their wands on Harry's changing table while preparing for the ritual. They must've left them there.

Lily began to head towards the front door. She needed to stop James before he left without his wand. But before she could leave the kitchen she was frozen as James' panicked voice called to her.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

Lily froze as she made sense of his words and her world came crashing down but it was only a second before her training kicked in. She twirled around and yanked Harry out of the chair, thanking Merlin that she hadn't strapped him in. Then she turned towards the stairs and headed back to the nursery where her wand and a fireplace was.

~ • ~

And so our story begins. In her nervous state Lily Potter made a mistake. While she preformed the Duality of Love ritual correctly, she did not use the right version of it. So when James sacrificed himself for Lily and Harry the uncompleted ritual did not work enough to save Lily from Voldemort's curse. However, when Lily sacrificed herself for her son and preformed an act of protection, she was physically close enough to Harry for the ritual to save him but not her.

The Duality of Love ritual would not be completed for another 16 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is also available on Wattpad under Princess-of-the-Pen and on Fanfiction.net under the same name.


	2. Small Moments & Completed Rituals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously do not own the majority of this chapter as these are quotes directly from the books.

** A Kiss of Nonchalance and Importance **

"'Bye, Harry!" said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.

**A Hug of Relief and Worry**

He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room, then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair — Hermione had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat, while Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.

"HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless — but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us — the dementors! When we heard — and that Ministry hearing — it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations —"

"Let him breathe, Hermione," said Ron, grinning, closing the door behind Harry.

**A Glance that says Everything and Nothing**

Hermione turned and beamed at Harry; her eyes too were full of tears.

"… then I declare you bonded for life."

~•~

As soon as Hermione and Harry made eye contact a shock of pain hit Harry in the chest and head, above his heart and behind his scar. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted blood, barely keeping from yelling out. Next to him, Hermione made a breathless sound, as if all the air had been knocked out of her. Nobody seemed to notice their sudden discomfort and the pain disappeared as fast as it had came, leaving nothing but a sore spot. Both Hermione and Harry shrugged it off but in that moment everything had changed.


	3. Werewolf Musings & Destroyed Graves

_"I'd be pretty ashamed of him."_

In the back of his throat, without his consent, Remus Lupin growled. It was a loud, somewhat feral growl that made his throat raw and had him looking around just to make sure no one was around to hear it.

Remus had always prided himself on how well he maintained his composure. Despite everything, he knew he had better control over himself than most werewolves did. Yet here he was, stalking down a street in Godric's Hollow, barely stopping himself from destroying something. And to make it worse, it only took a few words from an angst filled teenager to get him this way.

_"I'd never believe it. The man who taught me to fight dementors — a coward."_

Anger twisted his stomach until Remus was sure he was going to throw up. Harry wasn't just any angst filled teenager: he was Harry James Potter, son of his best friend, James Fleamont Potter. James had made Sirius Harry's godfather and made Remus (and Peter) an honorary uncle to his son. They were suppose to protect Harry in situation where James and Lily couldn't and both of them had failed pretty hard at that. Now Remus was trying to make up for his failure and instead he gets verbally attack?

_"I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."_

But protecting Harry wasn't his only motive. Remus had to get away from Tonks and the baby growing inside her. He needed to think, to come up with a way to fix the mess he'd caused since Tonks refused to give up the baby. Harry had attacked him for that reason and the worse part was that Harry was right.

They both were right.

James would've definitely wanted Remus to protect Harry but only after Remus' own kid was well protected and if Tonks was okay with it. Remus could picture it clearly in his head: James would thank him for protecting Harry but then Lily would interrupt and give Remus a stern look not that different from the one Harry gave him today. She'd clear her throat in that expecting way of hers and ask if he was forgetting something. He would play dumb and Lily would bring up Tonks and the baby. James would agree and would put a hand on Remus' shoulder and tell Remus that he could never ask him to put his kid before Remus' own. Remus would insist and James would be hesitant and Lily would ask if Tonks was okay with Remus leaving her behind to protect Harry.

And Tonks would be okay with it.

Right?

It wasn't as if Tonks couldn't protect herself. She was a grown women and the baby was still in Tonks so how much protection could Remus give it? Meanwhile, Harry hadn't even finished his Hogwarts education and his only back up was two other kids who hadn't finish their education either. So who really needed him most?

Remus growled again. His excused sounded pathetic and weak even in his one head. Harry was right. He was a coward.

"Oof!" Remus grunted as he walked into the kissing gate leading to Godric's Hollow's graveyard and nearly fell over it. Backing up, he stood there pensively before pushing the gate open and entering his friends' finally resting place.

Remus closed his eyes and let muscle memory take him to the joint graves of Lily and James and the tombstone next to it. The tombstone was disillusioned most of the time, a little something Remus had purchased in Sirius' memory. It didn't mark an actually grave: Remus couldn't afford a casket and even if he could it would be empty. But still, the tombstone marked what could've been Sirius' final resting spot, right next to James as he'd always been.

When he opened his eyes, Remus expected to see the pristine graves he visited at least three times a month. He expected to see the pure white headstone inscribed with James and Lily's names. He expected to see the gray and much smaller headstone with Sirius' name on it, already falling into disrepair that Remus would have to fix with his wand. He expected to see the slightly browning grass freshly trimmed and falling leaves scattered over the area.

He did not expect to see Lily and James' graves completely disturbed, the ground dug up and dirt everywhere as if an explosion had taken place. He didn't expect to see the lid of their casket tossed aside and broken. And when he looked inside the ruined grave spot, he certainly did not expect to find their joint casket empty.

The world turned red and the graves before him seemed to blur in out and out of focus. Suddenly the sounds of Godric's Hollow were sharper and the smells more crisp. He could feel the werewolf within pushing against his skin, trying to take over his body as much as possible without the aid of the full moon. His teeth felt like spikes against his tongue and he could feel his nails growing.

 _Calm down, Lupin!_ he tried to command himself but his body was out of his control. Never had Remus felt this type of rage: not when he was outed as a werewolf and had to resign from teaching DADA, not when Snape tried to out him as a werewolf back in school and get him expelled, not even when Harry had called him a coward - and that had made him so mad that he threw Harry against the kitchen wall! This red rage was something completely different, something destructive and dangerous, something feral.

_Someone destroyed their graves! Someone opened their casket! Someone stole their bodies!_

The words ran through his head relentlessly, making his heart thunder and his brain pound. A third growl, much louder than the other two, ripped itself from his throat,meaning the taste of metal in his mouth. Somewhere close by - extremely close by - there were gasps of surprise.

"Who's there?" Remus shouted, spinning towards the source of the noise and whipping out his wand at once. The tip of his wand burned and let off red sparks.

There was no reply but it didn't matter because Remus' senses were going haywire. He could smell the rotting bodies beneath the think scent of grass and soil. He could smell the exhaust fumes from passing cars and the food from dinner being made in nearby houses.

And he could smell them.

Remus could smell the sweat on their skin and the fear, confusion, and - was that excitement? - radiating off of them. He could hear their hearts pounding and the sound of leaves moving as they shuffled backwards. It didn't matter that they didn't show themselves because he knew exactly where they were.

Moving at a pace was that impossible fast for his human form but quite slow for his werewolf form, Remus closed the distance between them, wrapping around the tree they hid behind. "Stupefy!" he roared, sending two stunning spells at the two intruders.

It was only when they were slumped on the ground that Remus managed to calm down. He dropped to his knees and sucked in air through his mouth, his sense of smell too sensitive to allow him to breathe through his nose. Slowly but surely, he pushed his werewolf side down. His teeth dulled and his nails retracted until he looked as human as everybody else and his senses reduced down to their normal level of sensitive.

And with his humanity came his rationality.

"What did I just do?" he gasped, staring at the ground. The two he stunned could've easily have been muggles mourning their loved ones, shocked by his half-transformation. But instead he had assumed that they were the ones to destroy the Potter grave.

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Remus stood up and pointed his wand at the unconscious duo, ready to obliviate and wake them up. It was only then that he got a good luck at the two.

His chest turned to ice.

It was like looking at a photo or a pair of solid ghost. The red haired, lightly freckled girl and the messy haired, glasses wearing boy… it was all so familiar. Remus was positive that had their eyes been open, he would've been met with perfect replicas of the green and hazel eyes he knew so well because right in front of him were perfect replicas of James and Lily Potter.


	4. Burning Rages & Dumb Questions

Harry stood in the bathroom, his shirt crumpled on the floor and his gaze fixed on the bathroom mirror. Normally he didn't particularly enjoy looking at himself. His body was riddled with tiny scars, permanent reminders of past punishments and incidents that were never treated properly under the Dursleys' roof. But now he found himself transfixed by his reflection — well, he was transfixed by the marking that Harry he discovered on his body.

With a shuddering breath, Harry used his index finger to trace the pattern on his chest. It was the shape of two hearts entwined and as he traced it, Harry let out a hiss of pain. The skin around it was sore and red, almost as if he had just gotten it recently, though he couldn't imagine when.

Harry had noticed a persistent throbbing where the print laid ever since he came to Grimmauld's Place — more specifically, whenever he was in Sirius' room and was thinking of his parents — but being so stressed about Kreacher's return, he had paid no attention to it. It had flared up even worse when arguing with Remus about what his dad would've wanted, but Harry had once again brushed it off. However, now that Kreacher had completed his task and Mundungus had given them the information they needed and been sent away, Harry found himself a moment of peace to discover the source of the throbbing and had found the print.

Harry jumped as someone rapped on the door. "What?" he called through the door as he bent down the receive his shirt.

"Harry, Remus is back!" Hermione replied, a lick of urgency in her voice. "He says it's an emergency!"

"Coming!"

Harry cursed under his breath as his glasses fell off his face and his arms got tangled in his shirt. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself but the mention of Remus had made his heart pound. Guilt and anger both bubbled up inside him. Harry knew he should apologize for calling him a coward but he was still angry at the werewolf for trying to leave behind his child. With an angry sigh, Harry pulled on his shirt and picked his glasses off the floor, using his shirt to clean them as he left the bathroom.

Down in the sitting room, Remus was pacing back and forth, wringing his hands together. Ron and Hermione sat next to each other on the couch, a bit too close for Harry's liking, watching Remus pace. It wasn't that Harry was upset about how close Ron and Hermione have been but it just didn't feel... right. I mean, they were in the middle of a war! They had to focus on finding horcruxes, not love. Not to mention seeing them like this only reminded Harry of his situation with Ginny.

"Hey, Remus," Harry said, stopping Remus in his tracks. The werewolf turned to face Harry, his eyes frantic and full of anxiety. Obviously something was bothering him and Harry decided that apologies could wait. "What's wrong?"

"Harry, I..." Remus trailed off. He let out a sigh before starting again. "I really don't know how to explain what happened. It's impossible and I'm pretty sure they're Death Eaters in disguise. I have them tied up in my house and I have no idea what to do with them!"

Harry stepped forward and placed a hand on Remus' thin shoulder, stopping the man's rambling. Ron and Hermione watched on from the sidelines, eyes wide and on alert at the mention of Death Eaters.

"Calm down, Moony," Harry said, please with himself as Remus visibly relaxed at the use of his nickname. "What Death Eaters?"

"After I left earlier today, I apparated to Godric's Hollow. I went to the graveyard—"

"Where my parents are?" Harry asked, heart pounding. He had wanted to visit Godric's Hollow for so long and that urge to go had only grown knowing that Bathilda Bagshots lived there.

"Yes. I always visit their graves when I need to think." Harry nodded. Had he'd been able to go, he probably would do the same thing. "But when I got there... Harry, their graves were destroyed." Hermione and Ron gasped bit Harry just furrowed his brow, a cold feeling settling in his chest.

"What?"

"Their graves were destroyed. Dirt was everywhere, the casket's lid was blown apart, and the casket itself was empty." The words were bitter as they came out of Remus's mouth.

"Empty? No bones or anything?" Now the cold feeling in Harry's chest was turning hot as numb disbelieve became burning anger. Still, he remained calm.

"When a wizard or witch dies, magic is used to conserve their bodies and runes are carved into the casket to repel animals and keep the casket in perfect condition. There should've been two perfectly preserved bodies but there was nothing."

"Death Eaters stole my parents bodies? They actually destroyed their graves and stole their bodies?" Somehow, Harry's wand found its way into his hand, the end of it glowing furiously. With no spell in his mind or on his tongue, Harry slashed through the air with his wand and the table in the sitting room exploded, leaving Hermione and Remus to scramble for their wands and throw up shields to protect themselves (and Ron) from flying debris.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, indignant.

"What!" he snapped, head pounding as he seethed. His chest burned but Harry couldn't tell if it was because of the mark that rested over his heart or just the furry building up. "A piece of scum broke into my parents' final resting place and stole their bodies: I swear to God if you tell me to calm down..." The rest of the sentence remained unfinished but the threat was still loud and clear.

"Mate, no one is telling you to calm down but killing us is not going to solve anything!" Ron said with red cheeks and a protective arm around Hermione. Seeing the gesture only made Harry's mood worse so he looked away, spinning to face Remus with his wand pointed at him.

"You said you had Death Eaters died up in your house. Are they the ones that took my parents?"

"I believe so but Harry—"

"Take me to them!"

"Wait, Harry, I'm not done—"

"Now!" This time a night table with a gas lamp on it exploded, causing Ron and Hermione to dive to the other end of the couch. Remus sighed and pinched his nose but his eyes gleamed with understanding.

"Fine. Let's go."

The small group made their way outside and crowded on the front step. Ron stumbled a bit, his shoulder going through the Fidelius barrier, and the two watching Death Eaters surged forward, eyes searching for what they knew was there but could not see.

"Careful, Ron," Hermione muttered, placing a stabilizing hand on the redhead's elbow. While inside the barrier they could not be heard but still Hermione whispered, not taking a chance. Ron nodded, his ears turning red.

"Everybody hold on." Harry latched onto Remus like a vice, not particularly caring about any discomfort he might be causing the man as his nails dug into Remus' arm. Everything was pounding and his chest was burning and _oh, how angry he was!_ Whoever had done this was going to pay!

Then the square and the watching Death Eaters disappeared, replaced by a crushing blackness and the feeling that he was being pushed through a small tube. Harry stumbled as he appeared outside a small cottage, suddenly surrounded by trees in all directions.

"Where are we?" Ron asked, looking around. Harry pinched his nose and let out a huff. He was in no mood for stupid questions. They were at Remus' place, where the Death Eaters that stole his parents were being held. The particular location didn't exactly matter, now did it?

"Somewhere in Fairy Forest," Remus answered vaguely as he led them to the cottage

"Fairy Forest?" Hermione piped in. "Isn't that where all those muggles were attacked?" Harry winced. Who cared about attacks at a time like this? Why couldn't they just shut up!

"Muggles were attacked here?" Once again, Harry winced. Did Ron always ask dumb questions or was Harry just becoming more attuned to them?

"Yeah, by that witch for attempting to cut down the forest. Oh, what was her name?" _Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares!_

"Winifred Whittle," Remus answered, much to Harry's vexation. "Such a shame, too. She's quite nice if you leave the fairies alone."

"Why would anyone care about fairies?" Ron asked. Harry let out an audible growl that went ignored. Why had they apparated so far from the cottage? It looked so close yet with this conversation, the distance seemed to have doubled.

"Why wouldn't they? Fairies are living beings too, with emotions and feelings just like any human!" Hermione said with the righteous tone she used every time she talked about Spew.

"Y'know, you and Winifred would get along, nicely," Remus said, almost as a side thought. "As long as you're willing to listen to her go on and on about Whiff."

"Whiff?"

"Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies. Yes, Winifred is quite serious about protecting the fairies though I do believe there is only one other member of Whiff."

"In that case, Hermione and that fairy witch should get along swimmingly. They can talk all day about Whiff and Spew—"

"It's not Spew! It's—"

" _Alohomora!_ " Harry shrieked, pointing his wand at the door of the cottage that they had _finally_ made it to. The force of his spell was so strong that not only did the door unlock but it swung open, too, nearly taking the door off its hinges.

Harry stood in the doorway, panting, his anger at an all-time high. Didn't they realize how important this was? Yet instead they meaninglessly chatted on about Whiff and Spew and fairies and Winifred Whittle.

_Who cared about those things when they was about to confront Death Eaters that disgraced his parents graves and stole their preserved bodies?_

With a scowl on his face, Harry stormed into the cottage. Then he froze.

Hermione and Ron gave shouts of surprise and anger as they crashed into Harry's back before they too froze and fell silent. In front of them, bound to chairs and unconscious, were too dreadfully familiar adults. Harry had only seen pictures of them yet there was no doubt in his mind that the two in front of him were his parents.

Or, at least people disguised as his parents.

Harry spun around to face Remus and found him leaning against the closed door, his arms folded across his chest while he gazed at Harry with something Harry couldn't describe.

"Explain this," he growled, point his wand at the restrained pair. His voice was both strong and weak, like a weathered soldier on the verge of a breakdown.

"I tried to tell you back in Grimmauld's Place. After I saw the destroyed graves I found these two hiding behind a tree. I stunned them, fixed the graves, and brought them here. I waited an hour but they still look like James and Lily so they're not using Polyjuice. I tried all the counter-spells I know but the disguises just won't slip away. That's why I came to you. I knew you would want to be here as I interrogated them but I also figured that I could find some Veritaserum in the house or get Kreacher to get some or maybe you guys would have some on you." At that, Harry and Ron looked towards Hermione expectantly.

Hermione took out her wand and beaded bag out of her cloak's pocket. She quickly opened the bag and with her wand she summoned a tiny vial of clear liquid along with a dropper. Then, without a word and a stunned expression on her face, she handed them to Remus.

"Okay, then. Here we go."

Remus pulled out his wand as he walked to the bound James and Lily lookalikes and with a swish of his wand, he woke them up.

**A/N: I do not own Fairy Forest, Winifred Whittle, Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies, or anything related to Winifred's story. They belongs to the creators of _Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World_. Honestly, I'm not created enough to create a name like Witches' Holistic Institute for Friends of Fairies.**


	5. Truth Potions & Identities Confirmed

Harry watched closely as the lookalikes opened their eyes. Once again, Hermione and Ron were in the background, watching silently. Harry moved back until he was standing between them. He did not want to be close to the imposters, did not want to feel anything towards them because of the faces they wore. Still, he couldn't look away from them.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Harry shook his head, feeling drained.

"This is unreal." His voice was low and his body was shaking. It was terrifying how quickly all his anger and hate had disappeared, leaving Harry feeling cold and numb. Somewhere deep in his brain, Harry was still upset. He could still feel lingering traces of his rage swirling in his clenched stomach but those traces were so faint, they might as well not existed. Seeing his parents alive and breathing, even if they weren't his real parents, had shook him to his very core. It was like he was suddenly knocked out of his body and was stuck somewhere between dream and reality.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, probably some soothing words that would bring Harry back to reality and put everything in perspective, but before she could speak, Remus started the interrogation.

"Open your mouths," he instructed with a commanding voice Harry rarely heard. In his eyes was everything Harry had felt before. There was a combination of fiery anger and freezing indifference, pulled together with hard determination — a mixture that created a side of Remus that wasn't used very often.

"What's going on?" asked the James duplicate. He looked around, bug-eyed with clear fear and confusion written on his face. His rectangular glasses were crooked, leaving Harry with a disgusting urge to straighten them. Harry quickly decided that these Death Eaters were good actors. He could not let them trick him.

"I said, open your mouths!" This time Remus's wand was pressed directly between the James duplicate's eyes as he made his demand. The copy's eyes widened but he opened his mouth and so did the copy of Lily. Remus used the dropper to place three drops of Veritaserum down their throats and Harry found himself leaning forward in anticipation.

It was obvious when the potion took affect. Their faces went slack and their eyes clouded over, their lips slightly parted. Suddenly, they weren't Death Eaters masquerading as Harry's parents. No, they were empty shells, how his parents' corpses should look. Harry just wanted them to close their eyes and lay down in a casket that he could place back in the ground. Then everything would be right with the world and he could focus on getting the locket horcrux from Umbridge.

Remus looked over his shoulder, his eyes asking if Harry was okay. Harry shoved his hands into his pocket and nodded stiffly, reveling in the sturdy presence of Ron and the comforting hand on his arm that belonged to Hermione. No, he was not okay but he could survive this.

Remus let out a heavy sigh and then turned to face the imposters. Then he began.

"What are your names?"

They bother answered at the same, a ball of words that the three teenagers and one adults couldn't decipher. Still, Harry's muscles tensed. There were ways to get around Veritaserum and on the off chance that these Death Eaters knew how to, Harry had to be prepared for the impossible answers.

"One at a time," Remus growled. A thick coating of frustration layered his words and Harry felt a strange mix of admiration and jealousy bubble in his stomach. At that moment, with fire in his eyes and a threat in his voice, Remus looked strong. He held a sense of authority that would rival any Auror and an air of power that Harry wanted to possess. On the sidelines with his shoulders slumped and his muscles tensed, Harry could only imagine how weak and — Merlin forbid — _afraid_ he must look right now. Harry sucked in a deep breathe and took a step forward.

"James Fleamont Potter."

"Lily Mae Evans-Potter."

Harry stepped back.

A chorus of gasps filled the air but Harry wasn't apart of it. An icy chill had settled in his bones. _Occlumency and Anti-Veritaserum Potion reverses the effects of Veritaserum. They could be using either one of those methods to lie_ , Harry rationalized. After all, that had to be the answer! His parents were dead and nothing could bring them back!

To Harry's surprise, Remus continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Only the clench of his fists showed that something was wrong.

"How old are you?"

"21."

"How old is your son?"

"One years old," "James" said while "Lily" replied with a more precise, "One and three months." Then a look of confusion passed over their faces before "Lily" changed her answer to, "Two years and 3 days old." James nodded in agreement and then they went back to their mindless states.

Remus went silent, a pensive look on his face as he stared at the ground.

"This is a bunch of bollocks!" Ron spat, an incredulous look on his face accompanied with red cheeks and a furious spark in his eyes. Harry gulped, trying to moisten his dry mouth and throat. That last answer just didn't make sense. When his parents died he was one year and three months old so it would make sense for Death Eaters to use that answer. So why change it to two years and three days?

Remus put up a hand to silence Ron's angry spluttering, looking up from the ground and towards the duo tied up in front of him. "What day is it?"

"August 3rd," the Lily copy answered.

"Of what year?"

"1982."

"That doesn't make any sense! They're Death Eaters, let's just get rid of them!" Ron shouted, his wand in his hand.

"Get rid of them how? Kill them?" Remus asked, eyeing the copies of Harry's parents. Harry shivered at the idea of killing them. Merlin, he wanted to so bad but did he have the ability? Never had he killed a Death Eater, but what else would they do with them? Apparently, no one knew since no one tried to answer Remus' question.

A long stretch of silence left Harry feeling awkward before Ron spoke again. "Well, at least get some useful information out of them! 'How old are you?' 'How old is your son?' You're interrogating them as if they're actually Harry's parents!"

"I'm not convinced that they're not the actual James and Lily Potter," Remus muttered.

"It's impossible for them to be," Hermione piped in. Remus squeezed his eyes shut and gave out a low growl.

"I know that! I know but, they haven't said anything that would imply that this was all a trick. They got the date right, but the year is off by 15 years — that makes sense! If they were to magically wake up after being dead for 16 years and asked someone what they date was, they would be told the month and day, not the year, right? Because why wouldn't they already know the year? And since it was already October when they died, it would only be logical that they would assume the year was 1982, right? It makes sense!"

"Remus... You know this just your desire to have James and Lily back talking. You know that logically, it's impossible that James and Lily came back from the dead and that it's possible for people to get around the truth serum. They probably had the same though process as you and that's why they said August 3rd, 1982 and that's why they had to correct themselves about what age Harry would've been." Hermione spoke with a patient, gentle tone that Harry had been the recipient of many times. Even when it was aimed at him, it soothed Harry to hear her talk that way.

"I know... but it wouldn't be the first time the Potters did the impossible with death."

Harry could feel their stares on the back of his neck, although he couldn't see them. After the last question, Harry had left his friends side and flopped onto the old couch pushed against the wall. Now his face was buried in the cushion, despite the dust tickling his nose and irritating his eyes. Harry didn't mind it; he would gladly throw himself in all the dust in the world if he didn't have to deal with this situation.

"Ask them a question, then," Hermione suggested. "Something only the real James and Lily would know the answer to. If they get it right, then we'll accept that it's actually them."

Harry smiled to himself as Ron gave a "this is pointless" grunt. Harry didn't know what to feel at this point, but it warmed to his heart to hear Hermione trying to help Remus through his... denial? Was that the word for it? Either way, it reminded Harry so much of the day Sirius died. Hermione knew better than he did and she tried to stop him from going to the Ministry of Magic, the same way she was trying to talk Remus out of the idea that these fakers were the real James and Lily. Harry had been stubborn but Hermione still stuck with him and even rode a Thestral despite her hatred for flying. Now it was Remus' turn to be stubborn and, just as she'd done with Harry, Hermione was sticking with the hopeful man, giving him a suggestion that should knock the sense back into him when it failed. Hermione was always patient with Harry and it would only make sense that her patience extended to others as well.

"Okay," Remus said, so much hope dripping off the one word that it was almost painful. "What's something only they would know?" He was muttering to himself but Hermione still took it as an opportunity to pipe in once more.

"You should probably ask each of them two questions, just to be sure. One easy, one hard." Remus bobbed his head in agreement, an action Harry caught as he sat up and watched Remus pace the room. Hermione made eye contact with Harry before crossing over and plopping down next to him.

"Everything is still unreal?" Hermione asked, placing her head into her palm with an exhausted grin on her face.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, imagine if they're my actual parents!"

"Harry..." Her grin was replaced with a frown.

"I know, I know. It's impossible. But if they were... I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

"What do you mean?"

"There is just so much going on, right now. We're on the run, Voldemort is in his prime, and I'm probably going to have to do something really dangerous to get that pendant from Umbridge. The dead coming back to life would just be too much!" Harry grabbed his hair in frustration. A couple of years ago, he would've been thrilled at the idea of having his parents back. Maybe in a year or two the idea will thrill him again. But right now it was not a good time; especially when war was officially beginning and his parents could easily be killed once more.

"I get it Harry, we have a lot on our plate." Harry noted that she used plural terms. "We" and "our" instead of "you" and "your". "But if your parents were to come back, I think it would nice to have some adults help us with all this."

"Hermione, if by some miracle that defies all logic and turns everything we know on it's head brings my parents back, I'm keeping them as far away from this war as possible. They've already been taken away from me once and I won't risk them being killed a second time."

"I don't think you'll have a choice in that. They're going to want to fight."

"I'll tie them up if I have to!" Harry exclaimed with more conviction than he felt.

Hermione gave a tiny giggle, tainted with a sadness Harry didn't understand. She leaned against Harry, her hands wrapped around his arm like it was an anchor and she was a boat, drifting away. "Trust me, Harry, I know what you're feeling. I understand wanting to protect your parents no matter what. But your parents are fighters. They were apart of the Order and they defied Voldemort three times! They're going to realize that you're seventeen and that they missed 16 years of your life and that it's all Voldemort's fault. They're going to want to fight and they're not going to let you stop them." Hermione paused. "If anything, they'll try to stop you."

Harry looked at Hermione. She had a weird look on her face, somewhere between a grin and a grimace. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that they're never coming back."

Harry turned back to watch Remus pace, still thinking of questions to ask. Ron was looking at them, his lips pinched together and his fist clenched at his sides. Harry sighed before gesturing him over with his head. Ron quickly crossed the room and plopped down next to Hermione, sitting a bit closer to the girl than necessary. Hermione turned and smiled at him.

"I got it!" Remus finally exclaimed, capturing the attention of the three teenagers. "Okay, first the easy questions." He looked at the teens, almost as if waiting for their approval before he began. Hermione nodded eagerly, Harry leaned forward in his seat, and Ron still looked as if he thought of all this was a waste of time. With a deep breath, Remus asked his first question. "James, how did you become Head Boy?"

"Remus gave up the position because of his condition. He said that I should become Head Boy instead and that I'd matured and could handle the responsibility. Dumbledore agreed but McGonagall wasn't so sure."

"Is that true?" Harry asked the second the man was done talking. Remus nodded.

"Only James, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and I knew that. James didn't want anybody to know that he wasn't first choice for the position; he thought Lily wouldn't be as impressed if she knew. It was also funny watching Sirius and Snape try to figure out how James of all people got be Head Boy." A fond smile was on Remus' face as he spoke but Harry's heart was pounding.

"Okay, next question."

"Lily, what was our secret in third year?"

"We were tutoring each other. You helped me in Charms and I helped you in Transfigurations."

"What type of secret is that?" Ron sputtered. Harry had to agree; he was expecting something a bit more unbelievable. Tutoring? Why keep that a secret?

"Well, when you're considered two of the smartest kids in your year, it's a bit embarrassing to admit you need extra help outside of class. Not to mention Lily didn't want anyone to know that she was getting him from a Marauder." Ah, that made sense. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry glanced at Hermione. Had she ever needed secret tutoring?

"Well, that's two out of four. Ready for the hard questions?" Remus nodded. The anticipation and hope was now radiating off of him, seeping through his pores, making the room a little bit brighter. Harry couldn't understand why he didn't share what Remus felt. All he could feel was dread: dread that these weren't his parents and they had two very good and possibly deadly Death Eaters in their hands; dread that these were his parents and everything he knew would be thrown out the window.

"Okay, James. What happened the summer of 6th year?" Harry's face scrunched up. Surely the question should be more specific, right? Or perhaps it was better to have the question be as vague as possibly, increasing the chance of the answer being incorrect? Harry opened his mouth to voice these concerns but James beat him to it.

"Remus' father snapped and kicked him out of the house for being a werewolf. Remus came to my house in tears and asked to stay the night but my mom managed to convince him that he could live with us..." Suddenly, James lurched forward and his voice became slurred. The Veritaserum was wearing off. "Me and Sirius confronted his dad... Peter came over often, too... Summer of Marauders."

No one asked if James was correct; time was running out and one more question needed to be asked. Not to mention that, although he had sobered a bit at the mention of his father, it was obvious that James had gotten his hard question right. And that meant...

"Lily, who—" Remus paused. He looked at the kids. He looked at James. He bit his lip and then ducked down, whispering the question into Lily's ear. Harry leaned forward more, his curiosity piqued, but he couldn't hear what it was.

"Sirius Black," Lily answered. A troubled look crossed her features, the look of guilt and something else. "It was a mistake... I swear, I..." Then she stopped. Her back straightened and her eyes cleared. The slackness of her face morphed into confusion.

The Veritaserum had worn off.

Harry stunned them again.

His wand trembled in his hand but his aim was perfect. Eyes turned to look at him but nobody said anything. There was nothing to say, nothing to do.

Even without knowing the question there was no doubt that Lily had answered correctly. Remus' face was too bright for the answer to be anything but right. And that meant the unconscious duo before them had aced every question. They knew things only the real James and Lily would know. They knew how his father got to be Head Boy, they knew that Remus and Lily tutored each other, they knew that Remus' father kicked him out, and they knew whatever his mother had done by mistake to or with Sirius.

They knew.

So they had to be the real James and Lily. Hermione had said it herself: if they got every question right they would have to accept that James and Lily had miraculous come back to life. And they did get every question right so those were his parents, right.

They were his parents and they sat in front of him, alive and breathing.

Somehow.

It was everything Harry ever wanted. His prayers? Answered. His dreams? A reality. Right there in front of him was the impossible and yet the impossible was real and the laws of life were broken. The Potters had once again defied death. The Boy-Who-Lived and the Parents-That-Returned.

It was all too much.

Without a word or a warning, Harry stood. He looked around, his chest burning as his world spun and his reality flipped. Then he ran. He ran out of the cottage and into the woods. He ran past fairies and centaurs and tiny Bowtruckles. He ran until the world came into sharp focus and his lungs burned. He ran until he couldn't run anymore and fell to his knees.

Then, he pushed himself to his feet and he apparated away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So over on Fanfiction.net, I was asked about character bashing so I'm gonna make everything super clear right now. I do not plan on bashing any characters. I do, however, plan to portray each character realistically. That means Ron and Ginny, especially Ron, getting upset about Harry and Hermione being bonded even if it was by accident. That means Harry telling Lily about how Snape treated him and all other Slytherins and Lily tearing Snape a new one. It means all of them questioning Dumbledore's motives — parents being upset about Dumbledore hiding things from Harry and wondering about the things he did such as taking James' cloak despite not needing a cloak to be invisible. If you consider any of this bashing and you don't like that, turn away now but that's what I plan and I think it's remaining true to the characters.
> 
> Also, I apologize for the long wait between updates. Two weeks of internet problems + writer's block (I hate this chapter, tbh. Except for the ending.) = slow updates.


	6. Author's Note

Hey guys. I know I’ve been MIA and I know you guys want an update but one won’t be coming for quite some time. Now, before you start throwing tomatoes at me, hear me out! I got a valid reasons for this hiatus.

My mom has been hospitalized twice (well, really 4 times but only twice did she stay for more than 3 days) in the past month. She’s always had medical problems but this time it’s cancer. She’s really weak and needs help moving around and stuff. I’ve missed weeks of school at a time helping her to doctor appointments and just taking care of her in general.

With that said, I have no time nor inspiration to write. It’s a mess and things are getting better but it’s gonna be some time before I update this story or any others. Maybe I’ll post a one-shot or two but it’s highly unlikely. So, I’m sorry for making you guys wait but there is really nothing for me to do (I refuse to post crappy work).

Thanks for reading, though and (hopefully) sticking with me!

I’m sorry.

Until next time, angels, keep smiling and keep healthy!

Ciao!


	7. Another Note

Okay guys, another update: this hiatus is gonna continue for a while. I'm trying to write, I really am, but my life is a mess right now. Long explanation short: my mom died. On Sunday, November 26th, 2017 my mom passed away due to a bunch of things. Her body just couldn't take it anymore, I guess. So yeah, my life is pretty hectic right now so it's gonna be a while before I crank out something good. I might write some one-shots (fanfiction since that's what I've been drowning myself in lately) but that's it. I'm going through that awful type of writer's block where you know exactly what you want to write but no matter how you write it, it sounds like crap.

Who knows? I might write something for this story: I've been in a real Harry/Hermione mood and I really want to read some Remus Lupin centric stories right now.


	8. Overwhelming Emotions & Bad Nightmares

Remus was surprised when Harry ran out. He wasn't surprised that Hermione, followed by Ron, jumped up and ran after him. A part of Remus told himself that he should be chasing after them, too, but that part was silenced by a bigger part telling him that they could always apparate back here or to Grimmauld's place if they got lost and that he had bigger things to worry about.

Okay, so what do you do when your friends that died 16 years ago suddenly come back to life?

Remus rubbed his chin a bit, looking at their tied up figures... tied up! He should probably untie them! Remus grabbed his wand and pointed it at James.

"Emancipare!" The ropes that bounded James unravelled and disappeared. Immediately, the young man started to tilt forward, leaving Remus scrambling to catch him before he hit the ground. With his wand, Remus levitated his body to the couch that Harry and his friends had deserted.

Remus looked at James, his heart thundering in his chest. His old friend, thought gone forever and one of the few that didn't care about his condition, that helped made his transformations easier... He was suppose to be dead yet here he was, alive somehow...

Suddenly, Remus understood why Harry had ran.

Looking at James' youthful face, Remus felt overwhelmed. All the questions and all the possibilities of how this came to be slammed against his skull like boulders in an avalanche, each one fighting to get to the forefront of his mind and be voiced first. And yet, despite the engulfing headache of it all, he was happy. Remus was truly, truly happy in a way he thought he would never be again. It was exhilarating, it was stimulating, it was... it was...

Absolutely and totally overwhelming.

Remus squeezed his eyes shut and huffed out a breath, gently massaging his temples. He felt like sitting down or, even better, taking a nap. Instead, he turned to Lily and focused on untying her. Luckily, Lily didn't try to kiss the ground as soon as the ropes disappeared.

With that task done, Remus was once again left without any ideas of what to do next. So, he levitated Lily to a more comfortable chair, got blankets for the both of them, and went to take that much needed nap.

**~•~**

Over at Grimmauld's Place, Harry was also making himself comfortable on a bed. The teenager stretched out on what used to be Sirius' bed, his eyes stuck on the picture hanging on his godfather's wall.

The Marauders looked so happy, playfully shoving each other away while their arms wrapped around each other kept them together. From left to right there was Remus then James, Sirius then Peter. It was weird to see Sirius with his arm around Peter knowing that years after the photo was taken, Sirius would attempt to kill Peter and Peter would ruin Sirius' life.

Harry focused in on the young Remus and James. Harry had never seen Remus look as happy as he was in that photo but today he came pretty close: Remus had practically glowed when Lily got that last question correct (whatever that question was). And his dad... well, Harry would have a lot of opportunities to see his father smile like that, wouldn't he? Because somehow his father was back from the dead...

Harry rolled over and burrowed his head in a pillow, groaning loudly. His parents were alive! There were so many orphans that would love to be able to say that sentence truthfully. Yet, here he was groaning about it! For once in his life, Harry was lucky! He was in a situation others would die to be in (the parents thing not the Voldemort thing) and yet he wasn't happy about it all.

Why wasn't he happy about it?

"I'm the worst son ever!" Harry yelled into the pillow.

"No, you're not!" Hermione stated firmly and even though Harry recognized her voice, he still spun to face her quickly with his wand clamped firmly in his hand. He just barely managed to stop himself from pointing it at her.

"I thought I locked the door," was all Harry said in response. Hermione waved her wand in a look-what-I-got type of way before sitting at the end of the bed.

"Now, don't change the subject. Harry, you are not a bad son!"

"Then why can't I be happy? It's not like I _want_ them dead but I'm not happy that they're alive! What's wrong with me?" Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, bowing his head. His eyes burned and his vision blurred: Harry felt like rubbish. No, he was rubbish.

"Harry..." Hermione scooted closed to the curled up boy and slung an arm around his shoulders. "This is a new situation no one has ever been in before. No one knows how to feel and no one should expect you to feel any certain type of way."

"I can expect myself to feel a certain type of way and I expect myself to feel happy! Why am I not happy?" Hermione gave a frustrated sigh — frustrated, but not impatient. It was the type of sigh she gave when he or Ron didn't understand something she thought was obvious, something she was determined to get through their heads.

"Harry, listen. You said it yourself: there's a lot going on right now and this is just a another thing to handle. And you're probably in shock which it totally understandably. So here is what you're going to do: you're going to lay here and get some rest, okay? And when you wake up everything's going to be clearer and you're going to be able to think everything through and process the situation. Then, and only then, will I allow you to harshly judge yourself based on how you feel."

Harry's mouth open and closed repeatedly but no words came out. He wasn't tired, he didn't want to rest, and he certainly wasn't in shock! He was perfectly capable of processing the situation right now: his parents were alive and he wasn't happy about it. There: situation processed! But looking at Hermione, Harry knew she wouldn't let him do anything other than what she said.

"Fine," Harry grumbled. He rolled onto his side and slid his wand underneath his pillow, still holding it tightly as he closed his eyes. He felt Hermione pull the covers around him and her footsteps as she went to turn off the lights. Then the door closed and Harry was left alone to force sleep to come.

**~•~**

Harry didn't remember going to sleep. He remembered being bored as he laid there in the dark, he remembered his breathing deepening, and he remembered slowly becoming tired out of sheer boredom. But then there was a blank in his memory and suddenly he found himself not lying in bed but sitting on the hard ground.

Harry opened his eyes and looked around. He was in one of Hogwarts' abandoned classrooms, desks and chairs piled against the walls and an upturned wastepaper basket in the corner. Then he saw it: a familiar mirror with an ornate gold frame that reached the ceiling leaning against the wall across from him.

The Mirror of Erised.

Harry stood up and walked in front of the magical mirror. His family from both sides happily stared back at him, his parents closest to his 11 year old body. He placed his hand against the glass of the mirror and it rippled, his hand falling through it like water.

On the other side of the mirror, his parents smiled even wider and his mum grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before she gently pulled him through the rippling surface. Harry didn't say anything, didn't feel anything. This was how it was suppose to be...

Harry's lips stretched into a smile of their own volition, a smile that matched the one worn by every single family member. A sudden surge of happiness filled him and he lunged forward, wanting nothing more than to hug his parents...

But as he reached for them they turned to smoke, slipping out of his grasp and leaving him on the hard floor. Coughing, Harry picked himself up, his lungs filled with dirt. The wind howled like a werewolf on the night of the full moon, rushing through his hair and nearly knocking him off his feet. Trees rose up on all sides of him and moonlight shown from between their leaves and branches

He was 13 and he was in the Forbidden Forest.

"Hullo, Harry." Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin standing there, glowing. He was actually glowing, a golden aura wrapped around him like a second skin. He wore the same big smile that Harry's family wore in the Mirror and it was kind of creepy.

"Hullo, Professor. Is everything alright?" Harry asked. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"Yes, it's a beautiful night." They stood there in silence until Harry noticed a growing discomfort in his shoulder.

"Professor, you're nails are digging into my shoulder," he grunted. Remus just nodded again. Soon, Harry was clawing at Remus' arm, trying to get him to let go but he wouldn't. Blood was seeping down his arm as Remus' nails broke skin. That's when he noticed that Remus didn't have nails. He had claws.

Harry screamed as the claws slinked further into his flesh and the wind blew harder. Leaves whipped around and the trees bent to the force of the wind, only their roots keeping them from blowing away. Then everything stopped and the pain went away. Remus was standing a foot a way, still glowing, still smiling.

"You should get back to the castle, Harry," Remus said quietly. Before Harry could question him Remus began to transform, the full moon practically throbbing in the sky. Harry watched in horrid fascination as fur sprouted on his professor's body and his ears sharpened. It wasn't until a loud howl filled the ear that Harry started to run.

It felt like he was running forever. His heart pounded and his blood boiled. Every part of the Forbidden Forest looked the same and Harry didn't know where he was. Worst of all, Harry could hear the werewolf close by but couldn't pinpoint where he was.

Harry stopped, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. He was going to die...

Then the werewolf came crashing through the trees, growling loudly. Harry screamed and fell the ground, curled up with his hand protecting his head. But the werewolf wasn't after him — no, he was after the three figures behind him.

Harry watched as the werewolf bounded for the doe and stag that peacefully grazed, their heads close together. However, it wasn't the deers that filled Harry with horror; it was the fact that Hermione stood between them, a book in hand and seemingly unaware of the approaching danger.

"Hermione!" Harry screamed but she didn't even look at him. Harry tried to get up but he couldn't, a root had twisted itself around his ankle and was working its way up his body, pining him to the ground. "Hermione, run!" Harry clawed at the ground. He had to get to her...

Harry spluttered as a cold liquid washed over him. The root unwrapped itself and suddenly he was floating in the Black Lake during the Triwizard Tournament.

The hostages floated in front of him but there were only three of them and they were all for him: James, Lily, and Hermione. Harry didn't question this and instead swam towards them. He was almost there... almost there...

Then an alarm blared and mermaids were taking them away. Harry was too slow, too late, not good enough... the competition was over and he'll never see them again!

"No!" Harry yelled. Water surged into his mouth, filling his throat and lungs. Somewhere in the back of his mind was the idea that he should be able to breathe underwater but it was washed away by the panic of drowning. Harry grasped his throat, desperate for air and desperate to see his parents and friend again but he knew he would get neither. He had failed the task, hadn't saved them, and death would be his punishment.

The alarm sounded again as black spots danced in Harry's vision. He felt dizzy and tired. The alarm went off again, louder this time. It kept ringing, mocking Harry, announcing that it was all over. It went off again and again and again and again...

**~•~**

Harry sat up so fast, he nearly fell off the bed. Cold sweat clung to him like a second skin and he couldn't breathe. He could still feel the water of the Black Lake in his chest, Remus' claws digging into his shoulder, and the rippling surface of the Mirror of Erised beneath his palm. It all seemed so real but it wasn't. He never left the bed.

It was just a nightmare.

Despite this knowledge, Harry's heart still thundered. His hands still shook as he shut off the alarm clock that woke him - _when did he set an alarm?_ \- and his legs felt weak as he untangled himself from the smothering blanket wrapped around his limbs.

Taking a few deep breathes, Harry hugged his knees to his chest. Using one hand to straighten his glasses, Harry stared out the window. The sun was just rising, filling the room with soft light as the beginning of bird songs graced his ears. It was so peaceful but Harry was anything but at peace. After steadying himself, Harry jumped to his feet, stretched out the kinks in his back, and went to search for Hermione.

"Good Morning, Harry," Hermione said the second Harry stepped into the library. Harry didn't question how she knew it was him without lifting her eyes from the book in front of her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he lied. Hermione turned to face him, her brown eyes roaming his body before she gave a disbelieving snort. Luckily, she didn't interrogate him about it.

"And how are you feeling?"

"I-" His breath caught and for a second no words came out. Then he licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of the nightmares that had plagued his sleep. "I want to go see my... parents today."

"That's great, Harry! We'll go after breakfast." Harry nodded and went to sit next to his friend. He kept seeing her in the Forbidden Forest, nose buried in a book and petting the doe and stag, blissfully ignorant of the approaching danger. Without noticing, Harry placed his hand on top of hers. Hermione looked at him but her questioning look quickly melted into a comforting smile when she saw his face.

"So, I've been up all night doing research—"

"Of course you was." There was a moment of silence before Hermione rolled her eyes and continued, explaining what she was looking for and the little that she found. As Harry listened, he found himself relaxing. This right here - listening to Hermione explain something he could barely hope to understand - was such a familiar situation that he found himself feeling the peace his nightmares had robbed him of.  
  
Harry smiled and slowly fell into a more restful and dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry for the delay. When my mom's health went south I was halfway through this chapter. A bit after she died I finished the chapter but I wasn't ready to move on with the story or post the chapter so I didn't. A while ago I decided I was ready but by then I had lost my iPad charger and my phone was disconnected: I had absolutely no way to access my pages documents so I couldn't reach this chapter to post it. I j u s t got a replacement charger (and my old one decided to pop up as soon as I brought a new one) so here's the chapter y'all should've had months ago. Don't worry: the next one is well underway.
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me :)


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